Ethics culture remains strong at the Bar
The latest Bar Council survey of barristers shows that more than 8 out of 10 respondents report a very good understanding of the profession's code of conduct and ethical obligations. In the Bar Council’s Barristers’ Working Lives survey 2025, we asked all employed and self-employed barristers in England and Wales to answer a series of questions on professional ethics. The response rate for the survey was 27% of the practising Bar.
Key findings:
- Most barristers report a very good understanding of the code of conduct and their professional ethical obligations. The mean score across all barristers is 8.45 out of 10.
- One in three barristers said they had undertaken training/CPD on ethics in the last year, and a similar proportion said they had done so within the last five years.
- The most significant factor identified as causing ethical challenges was pressure from clients to act unethically, 51% of respondents said this had caused issues. Maintaining independence was the next biggest challenge, with 31% of respondents reporting this had caused problems.
Barristers feel they have supportive networks to help them address any ethical challenges they face. Nearly eight in ten respondents indicated they would be ‘very likely’ to use colleagues as a source of ethical support. Next would be senior colleagues or managers (70% indicated they would be ‘very likely’ to seek this support). After this, barristers might turn to the BSB website, the Bar Council ethical enquiries service or the Bar Council ethics and practice hub website.
Chair of the Bar Kirsty Brimelow KC said: "We carry out the Barristers’ Working Lives survey so we can listen to the profession and better understand barristers’ experiences at work. Barristers take their ethical obligations very seriously and the range of support on offer ensures that the ethics culture at the Bar remains strong.
“We have found no evidence to indicate the need to make substantial changes to the ethical regulation of the Bar, but we do want to see the BSB Handbook updated to make it clearer and easier to use. The Bar Council has long supported barristers with understanding their ethical obligations. We have a weekday daily ethical enquiries service for all practising barristers and provide a wide range of ethical guidance and events. Through our committee work and practical support, ethics remains a high priority for both the Bar Council and the profession.”
The Bar Council’s Ethical Enquiries Service assists barristers to identify, interpret and comply with their professional obligations under the BSB Handbook. Our enquiries team answered nearly 4,000 calls and responded to over 500 written queries in 2024/25. We regularly host ethics webinars and continually review and update ethics guidance for the profession which is hosted on our ethics and practice website for barristers and chambers.
The Legal Services Board has previously highlighted concerns about the misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). Our survey shows that only a very small number of barristers believe these issues represent key ethical challenges. Our survey findings suggest that any further work on these subjects should be highly specialised and targeted. We have long said that the most effective solution to tackle SLAPPS is legislation and not more regulation of the Bar.
By analysing the survey responses, we have been able to identify potential follow up action. These include organising training events that are focused on maintaining independence and dealing with pressure from clients to act unethically and considering guidance on these topics. We want to continue to work with stakeholders to review areas where employed barristers may need further assistance.
Ethics at the Bar report June 2026